August 29, 2008

Ramadhan is just around the corner! I feel a bit elated for this blessed month this year, can't really explain why. Maybe great things will happen for me and my loved ones? Ameen. In fact, one good thing already happened about an hour ago.

For the past one week I have been agonizing over the fact that I have to spend a huge amount for the car this month. With a major service as well as renewing the insurance (zero NCD, by the way). Just now, before walking to the office, I remembered to take a peek at the road tax sticker to check the expiry date. Lo and behold, it's on 1st October! Yeay! That means, I only have to spend for the service this month! I couldn't stop the string of gratitude to His Greatness that came out right after the big smile. Thank you again, God.

UAT with the customer was completed with few minor glitches. All in all they are impressed with the system and happy with the outcome. The boss said today we will take it easy, and coming back to the office means just waiting for the weekend. But come Tuesday, I will have a very busy day because I will need to prepare the reports and charts and whatever else. Wednesday would be meeting with the customer again to finalise everything. Hopefully by end of next week we can proceed with the testing with the remote sites. And if everything goes well as planned, I would have a pleasant Syawal, without having to worry about the connectivity and whether or not the transmission made it to the central site.

And IF everything goes smoothly, it would mean more busy days ahead which include foreign places. Yeay! This last piece, I'm hopeful.

I believe that whatever God has decreed has lessons to it. And if God gives us something, be it good or bad, it's a blessing as well as a test. Therefore, whatever it is that we achieve, we shouldn't be so smug about it. Or if we could not have what we want, not to be so sad about it. He is the greatest. There is always a lesson behind what He holds back from us and what He gives to us. Whichever way, we have to be mindful and thankful.

Congratulations to Anwar Ibrahim and PKR. I hope the MPs will start work now. It has been 5 months since the General Election. To Gravt's question on whether I think the lesser evil won, I really could not say. Permatang Pauh people knows better. Very diplomatic answer, eh? He he he... Anyway, his victory was expected already, it's his Kampung, kan?

A friend is saying Parliament duty will be something to be avoided in future. Because she said it'll be haywire. I sincerely hope not, because I really want the MPs to start working. Then again, it might just be wishful thinking, eh? He he he... MPs are after all clowns, if not children, as what they have proven the past several months.

Anyway, enough of those. Happy fasting everyone. Let's celebrate the holy month with more meaning and understanding. I sincerely apologise for my words or thoughts that have directly or indirectly hurt your feelings through out all my ramblings. I am, after all, only human. And humans make mistakes. Take care and have a great blessed weekend!

August 26, 2008

I've been busy. Tomorrow we will start the user acceptance test at the central site. I expect some minor issues to be reported but in general, I hope everything else will work out fine. As I'm preparing the documents for tomorrow, another part of the country is a hot spot eventhough it's raining.

While preparing the checklist for the vendor, I recalled how reluctant the staff was to learn new things. To him, his job is basically putting the hardware in with minor configuration. When told that he has to do changes to the script file he fidgeted. His excuse was that he doesn't know these things. He's young, so I gave him that. So I said to him, isn't it great to be able to learn new things? And when he finished doing it, I asked him, doesn't it feel good that now you know something else? And after doing it everything works fine? He just fidgeted some more and grinned.

This bunch of kids, are lazy. They can learn new things and they can remember them, but they are just plain lazy. I didn't ask what is their level of education. On top of that, their interpersonal skill is zero. I could barely control my frustration when working with them. But one has got to do what one has got to do, no?

Sometimes I do wonder about this type of people. Don't they want to be better at their job? Why aren't they willing to take one step further when it comes to completing the task? And if things don't work out, they do not do a little research to try to find the solution. Instead they just wait for people to give them the solution.

And sadly to say, they are, most often than not, Malays. It's embarrassing. Not only the men has a gigantic ego, they are also bodoh sombong, unwilling to learn and lazy. And when the women perform better than them, instead of taking the opportunity to learn, the men simply shut these ladies off. Granted, not all Malay men do this, but majority of them do. The ones that I worked with in the past and some that I'm working with now, do.

So. changes are unavoidable. Attitude changes are desperately needed. Before you can change the nation, you should change your working and learning attitudes. Paradigm shift, as what the former primer always said. Sadly, we see none in works.

And it's the 51th year of independence. Our minds are mostly still being colonized. Wake up. The segregation based on race to what work you do is no longer valid. These days, you should be versatile and adaptable.

Simply dump the crushed garlic and shallots into the pan with heated oil. Sauté for a while. Dump the chili paste in. After a while, dump the shrimps in. Stir and stir. You don't need to add salt because the shrimps are already salty.

Dice the bell peppers and cabbage. Crushed the garlic. Heat butter in pan and throw the garlic in. I like to let the butter melt while getting the garlic golden. Dump the veges into the pan. Stir a while and take it out from the pan while the cabbage are still crunchy and green.===========================================

Prepare 2 packets of Indomie as normal. This time I did not do anything extra like frying them in the pan with garlic and maybe some red pepper. Just stir the sauce and spices provided.

Serve with the sambal, sautéed veges and garnish with boiled egg. Ready to eat. All was prepared under 20 minutes.

There's a new supermarket that I frequent now. Okay, I'm exaggerating. Today is my second time doing grocery shopping there. And all because, it saves time. It's Mercato d'Marketplace in Pavillion.

First off all, it's walking distance from the office. Secondly, I do not have to pay for extra parking ticket. The downside is that if I want to buy frozen food or fishies or shrimpy or squidy, I have to do it after work and not during lunch hour. Price-wise, it's not too bad. It's the same like spending in Bangsar Village Grocer or Cold Storage.

Before you get the wrong idea that I'm being uppity and snotty, I do shop at Giant and Tesco. Some of my clothes are from Tesco. But when it comes to freshness, these so called foreign oriented supermarkets win hands down. This is talking about going to buy them after work. Besides, there's no Giant or Tesco nearby where I live. There's UO Supermarket that I frequent for ad-hoc purchases and the fish or shrimp that I buy there has to be cooked on the same day. And the fishies look so sickly and limp when I drop by after work.

Other than that, these supermarkets also have a wide range of selection when it comes to preparing non-Malaysian dishes. He he he...

Anyway, today I plan to cook noodles for dinner. I canceled my plan to buy shrimps because after work I want to head home straight, so while doing the shopping just now I came across udang geragau. These are tiny little shrimps that usually end up as belacan or cencaluk. Upong seeing it, I immediately recalled the sambal that Mak used to make when I was still schooling. This sambal made with udang geragau is fingerlishingoodness. Great with hot steamy rice with kicap kipas udang as well as the filling for either toasted or non-toasted sandwiches. YUMMY!

So, tonight I plan to prepare Bahmi noodle; made from original Indomie (with extra goodness) with the sambal. Can't wait!

August 17, 2008

Radical thoughts are exciting. They are like the dark side of the force. They seduce you. There is no secret or question then why people tend to go against establishment. Some feel it's just fun and exhilarating to protest. It's interesting to see how people in an establishment react to protests and disagreements.

Like Joker, the agent of chaos, he strikes terror in the people who don't understand him. His actions are random yet deadly. His motives are unexplainable neither understood. There is no way to stop him because he is so cunning he'll be able to turn good into evil. More shockingly, the switch would be done voluntarily and he won't be blamed for it; because his persuasive skills make you think you made the decision to be evil.

Like the Dark Side of the force, it's the realm that is full of suggestive power. It's force is so electrifying that you would think it's the best and the strongest. It can be corrupted once you let it consume you. And the Light just flicker out.

Radical thoughts and radical people have this effect on other people too. Radicals are not necessarily evil or bad. They are just different. But ultimately they have their own objectives that again, do not necessarily include the people they are recruiting to the program.

So, like Batman and Joker, this dance between an unstoppable force against an immovable object will continue. Or like the battle between the Jedi's Light and the Sith's Dark Side, the force is shaken. Until the end of time.

August 15, 2008

If you're anything like yours truly, you'd be reading the manual every time you buy a new appliances. Although, if you're like me, whatever that was read, would be forgotten the moment the manual is put down. So, I guess if there's such thing as a manual on how to handle other drivers on the road, I won't remember a thing even if I spent hours reading it. Mute point. I know.

So, what is the connection between reading manuals and drivers, you asked? Frankly, nothing. This is just another stress relieving post.

If I was blessed with super powers, I'm sure there would be a lot of casualties on the road whilst I'm driving. The number of killer stares that I give everyday or the silent swears that could equate to mortally dreaded magical spells are endless.

The number of queue cutting on the road is unbelievable. I spent 15 minutes of queuing up to make a simple turn at the junction, when all of a sudden another vehicle just cut in front of me, as if shouting that the driver's urgency is the utmost importance. Once a while, I admit, I am guilty of this action as well, so I guess, I am getting the payback, eh?

Then, what's with not giving way when I already give signal that I want to change lanes. It's not because I want to get ahead, but because I need to be in that lane to go towards my destination. One moment there is a space for me to go in, but seconds after the driver sees my indicator light flashing, the car increases in speed, making it absolutely dangerous for me to change lanes.

There is no courtesy on the roads in Malaysia. People are getting increasingly selfish by day. There is less generosity. If you're a virgin on the road, you'd be a tramp in just a month.

The 51st National Day celebration is looming. What has changed? Malaysians attitude are going down the toilet. National stability is in question because politicians are getting greedier. Teenagers are getting older than they really are day by day because they are more exposed to the world as compared to teenagers in 80s. Or 90s. People used to be proud displaying the flag as early as 1st August but these days you hardly see any. People are increasingly losing respect to each other and getting paranoid for no reason.

After half a century of sovereignty, I would expect the people are more open and confident. Therefore, open discussion should not be shunned. Seriously, if the other religion or races could not understand what Islam is all about, how can they understand why we say things that we do? Why is it so difficult to have a sincere knowledge sharing? Are our ulamas not expert enough in their subjects to be able to discuss with people from other faiths? What are we afraid of? Isn't it better to educate people than to leave them in the dark and speculate?

And what's with all these warnings to ward off inter-faith discussion? Is it actually a reverse psychology to ensure the Malays and Muslims really go on riots to protest the discussion? Come on, friends, we are matured enough to have a healthy discussion. It's not a matter of what's right, it's a matter of educating.

August 11, 2008

Sepulchre means tomb or grave. A burial chamber. Although it has such grave title, by no means it's a horror read. It's more like spirits and magic spells and apparition.

The story is about Meredith and Léonie, both lived in different times but their lives are linked by a deck of tarot cards. Now, I am not familiar with Tarot cards, but apparently they have several versions. The one that is being used in this book is created by the author to reflect the storyline.

The book is about love and betrayal as well as family connections and a lover's vengeance. The book kept me awake, although I managed to drag the reading in the span of almost two weeks! That is an accomplishment for me.

Kate Mosse's first book that I read, Labyrinth, has a similar trend. Where the past and present is intertwined. If you like supernatural reads, a little magic spell or going back and forth following the storyline, pick it up and enjoy the ride. I like it. And it's going to be a good idle reading in future.

For the first time, I did not take even one single picture during the trip up north. I have missed Penang so much. And during the weekend, I just want to take everything in and just feel the place. Not even a single shot!

Weather up there is not much different from KL. Hazy. High temperature. It did not rain the two days we were there. We went to eat at Hammediyah, a must go destination every time we're in Penang. The place has been refurbished, neater and nicer looking. Although CapalPerak said somehow the food did not taste as good as it was when the makan place was not so pretty.

While we were there, I came out with lots of ideas that CapalPerak reminded me to write everything down. Other than that, everything else is looking up. InsyaAllah dreams will be realised. Can't wait to get everything moving.

Owh! I learned some new skills too. I can now laugh myself to sleep AND sing myself to sleep. Impressive, ey?

August 8, 2008

It is a Friday. It's the Olympic Games Opening Night.It's a day with auspicious number. Even so, it is not suitable to get hitched today (according to the numerological guru).

Few days back one of the skeleton in the closet came knocking. Instead of answering the knock, I again repeated the same question that I asked every year every time it came knocking for the past five years. And the answer remains the same. This time around it's because there will be some celebration in November. I finally decided that enough is enough. I hope this time the skeleton understand where both of us stand. And I'm leaving it to the Almighty to decide on the outcome. Although I hope everything will turn out great for all.

Friends. You can't live with them, you can't live without them. Sometimes they are well meaning in their actions without thinking of the consequences. I am blessed with great friends. Just this week I made contact with several of my old friends. I'm glad. It has been years.

What goes around comes around. I believe in Karma. And I believe that what we face as challenges are the reason why we're still here. God tests us with things that He knows we're able to face.

On this day, the king of all days, I am taught by Him the greatness of being fair and just. Of being able to put yourself in someone's shoes (and I'm not talking about the skeleton, because skeletons don't wear shoes!).

Yesterday morning, the front desk lady was extremely rude to me. Never had I experienced a stranger screaming at me like that. And I did nothing wrong at all, I was asking for her assistance. So, instead of screaming back at her, I went straight to the management office and filed a complain. Today I met with the manager in charged and my suspicions were correct. She's a single mother and she was having trouble at home. I just put that image in my head yesterday to stop myself from saying not so nice things to her... And it turned out to be true. I told the manager that I do not want her to be terminated, I just want her not to repeat that attitude again because no one deserve to be treated like that. I hope whatever they do, they won't terminate her. I was told that she had already being given warning letter yesterday evening and a talk this morning. I hope that would be it.

So, lesson for today, before reacting to intimidation or rudeness, maybe it's wiser to step back and be the person for a while. We're humans after all. We're not spared from being emotional when trouble is brewing at home, kan?

August 6, 2008

I believe that CapalPerak and I have come to the next stage of our relationship. It has something to do with sharing your partner with the family members.

For almost two years I sorta have him all to myself. Minus the days or nights he's out with his friends and my being back at my parents'. And minus the times we are at work or at our respective abodes. Other than that we're basically attached to the hip like Siamese twins.

It has been two months now since his sister starts staying with him. Things have change a little bit. Some of the outings are shared. There are times when we are unable to do the things that we always do together. Basically, we are in the adjusting period. He's a good man, very family oriented. And I love that about him. While I grew up with the same thinking, I also value my privacy highly.

So one night, I told him this. I shared my feelings and thoughts. And you know what? He said he understands. And he realises the changes the both of us have to adapt to. We are learning. And I have to admit, I have difficulty in the beginning sharing my thoughts and feelings for fear of hurting his feelings, for fear of him getting annoyed or angry. This phobia has to do with my errmmm... past experience which I shall not say more. CapalPerak would be more annoyed if I don't tell him what I disagree about what he's doing!

So I value this learning curve. This period of getting comfortable with each other. It has been almost two years, and the learning has not stop. I know there will be a lot more to come. It will never stop.

This morning in Fly FM, during the Fix-It slot, a couple who just gotten to know each other for 3 months wants to get married; the parents are okay but most of the relatives and friends are skeptical. So the discussion was on whether or not it's okay to settle down after three months or should the couple stretch the courting period.

All the callers gave brilliant insights, some okay with the short period, some say should wait for two years. But who's to say what's the right duration to really get to know a person? One lady caller said that she got engaged within one month of getting to know the hubby and they have now been married for 8 years. It's true when they say that if the person accepts you 100% for who you are and love you because you are you, then that's the right person to settle down with.

And mostly I believe that parents' blessings are the most important. Without which your relationship will not sail happily. Friends and relatives? Their advice can be heard and pondered on, but never should they intefere or dictate where the relationship should go. And I repeat, who has the right to determine when the honeymoon period should be over anyway? I believe as long as both partners are willing to put effort in elongating the mooshy wooshy feeling, the honeymoon period will never be over. It's a matter of choice.

August 5, 2008

CapalPerak's sister managed to get her hands on 3 tickets. For MTV Asia Awards (YEAY!). No post party pass though, but that's okay, I'm just glad I was there enjoying good music. We headed to Genting at noon, dropping by at my parents' for quick snacking. Once up there, we were happily walking around First World Hotel shopping area, and time got by us too quickly. We managed to get in just in time to see PCD bust their moves. There was a bit confusion about the sitting arrangements; ours were the free sitting at B-Zone, then we were told to move to the C-Zone, once we were seated right opposite the stage, a lady came to check our tickets and told us to get out butts off there. We were sad, a bit enraged, but being there was just too fun to feel angry. So we moved back to the B-Zone where our views were being blocked by the stupid wall. Couldn't see the podium, so had to make do with the projection. We're still able to see the stage, although pictures taken from the angle do not turn out as great as I hope they would. And because of the moving here and there, CapalPerak didn't really get to see PCD as much as he'd want to. :-p

Owh... there was this lady holding a cardboard saying no taking pictures. She even waved the cardboard in front of the girls who were sitting several rows in front of us. I see no point of asking people not to take pictures, when that's the whole point of being there! I told CapalPerak if she comes over and do the same thing to us, I'd just turn an take her picture. Maybe she won't look so constipated.

Anyway. I enjoyed the performances tremendously. Leona Lewis was awesome! Seriously. So is One Republic. I'm a bit disturbed because there were no performances by Malaysian artistes, which I feel a bit stupid, since the even is organized in Malaysia. And why does Siti Nurhaliza needs to be nominated at all? Good thing she didn't win. Ha ha ha... I'm so evil. Owh, as I was enjoying the show, it suddenly ended. Ha ha ha.. And the ones with the post party pass quickly disappeared.

The guys sitting in front of us, kept showing off their post party passes. I got sick of it I mentioned to my companions that the next time they take out the passes, we should quickly snatch them and run out from the hall! They did do it, but we didn't do what I said. Bummer.

All in all, great Saturday night outing! The weather... man! I love the cold cold cold after the hot hot hot in KL.

Sunday

Woke up a bit late. Clean up the house. In the afternoon, went to MidValley thinking of buying washing machine, but decided against it. Hah! Nothing else happened except a lovely almost romantic dinner by the roadside with CapalPerak. He he he...

Monday

Jejak Kasih. Haih.... ITIK JAWA!! That's what she called herself when we were 16 years old. I miss those times. The laughter that we shared. We have not seen each other, neither talked for almost 12 years! I found her through FaceBook. And we just clicked back again! He he he... Seriously. I miss you la babe. We should meet up one of these days. Dem. I didn't even know she's married. Dah lama plak tuh! Ha ha ha...

Tuesday

That's today. And I have to stop now. Lunch date with the love of my life. He he he...

Jadi cleaner pun can practice double standard! That's just amazing. This guy, the one whose job is to clean the tables at the food court, I gave him my tray and said thanks, he sort of sneered with sour face. Later, he came to clean the table next to us, he was so ferking friendly. The ones seated there are foreigners.

Malaysia and its whole social strata is going down the toilet. From the bureaucracy of the financial institution to the midgets that made up the layers. Blurgh.